It wasn't until he saw Minato Namikaze that Lihuo truly felt the terror of the Flying Thunder God.
One second, you could be anywhere, doing anything; the next, you could appear wherever you wanted—as long as that place bore your Flying Thunder God Formula.
Lihuo sized up Minato at this point in time. He wore a dark blue undershirt beneath a Jonin vest, and his flowing blond hair fluttered in the breeze.
Seeing the outfit, Lihuo silently commented to himself:
"He looks much younger than he did when he was Hokage. His face still has a hint of boyishness to it. He's practically a young man..."
"Wait, young Minato!"
"Sorry, sir! I didn't recognize you just now!"
Unfortunately, no one else could hear Lihuo's lively inner monologue. The Third Hokage patted Minato on the shoulder and introduced him to the two boys.
"Your opponent in this bell-stealing test is Konoha's outstanding Jonin, Minato Namikaze."
At that, Minato smiled sheepishly, then looked at the two boys.
"You're Kakashi and Lihuo, right? Sakumo mentioned you to me."
"Especially you, little Lihuo. After our spar, we can discuss ninjutsu together."
Lihuo nodded.
"Then it's a promise, Minato-senpai."
Teacher Oshima spoke up at the right moment.
"You have half an hour to discuss your strategy."
"After that, the practical exercise will begin."
Lihuo and Kakashi nodded. This was different from the written exam. Their opponent was Minato Namikaze, after all, and neither of them dared take him lightly.
They walked away from the four examiners. Lihuo looked at Kakashi and saw the serious expression in his eyes.
"What's wrong, Kakashi? This isn't like you. Aren't you always calling yourself a genius?"
"Cut it out. You saw it too, didn't you? That Space-Time Ninjutsu."
Lihuo's expression turned serious as well.
"Yeah. Minato-senpai won't be easy to deal with."
"My father has told me about him. He said Minato's a once-in-a-century genius. If he really uses Space-Time Ninjutsu, how are we supposed to respond?"
Kakashi frowned, but Lihuo patted him on the shoulder.
"All right, let's not talk up the other guy. The important thing is figuring out how to fight him."
"I have an idea, but I don't know if it'll work." Lihuo leaned close to Kakashi's ear and whispered.
"Your insight is as sharp as ever," Kakashi said with a sigh. "Let's do it your way."
"Don't worry. It's a sure thing." Lihuo patted his chest confidently.
The two worked out the details of their plan, and half an hour passed in a flash.
When the Third Hokage and the others looked over at them, they saw that both boys were brimming with fighting spirit.
"Hahaha! What an impressive aura. Ryunosuke, announce the start of the test."
At that, Teacher Oshima exchanged a glance with Minato. After confirming that Minato was ready too, he called out:
"The practical exercise begins now!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, Kakashi charged forward like a leopard. Using the distinctive footwork of the Hatake Sword Technique, he moved in a way that made it hard for Minato to predict his next step.
But Minato was a well-known Jonin, and he had received careful instruction from one of the Sannin, Jiraiya. His strength was beyond question.
He didn't rush to set out any Flying Thunder God Kunai. This was a test, not a real fight to the death.
Instead, he surged forward and charged at Kakashi.
Lihuo's eyes sharpened. He lowered his stance and brought his hands to his ninja tool pouch, finding the best position to generate force.
Once everything was ready, Lihuo snapped his hands forward.
Kunai shot out like bullets from a gun, colliding in midair as they rapidly blocked every route Minato could take.
Minato's expression grew serious at the sight. He knew that if he didn't show some of his real strength, he might end up in trouble.
These two boys were nothing like recent Ninja Academy graduates. Both of them seemed to be approaching Chunin level.
With that in mind, Minato reached into his tool pouch, and a kunai appeared in his hand.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Amid the clash of metal and the spray of sparks, Minato swiftly knocked the kunai aside, clearing himself a path.
But in that brief moment, Kakashi had already reached him.
The two engaged in a fierce Taijutsu exchange, trading dozens of blows in an instant.
An ordinary Chunin would have struggled to follow a clash at this level.
But the only ones watching were two Kage Level powerhouses, a retired Anbu member, and a Uchiha genius with a cheat ability. All three could see just how fierce the fight was.
Clearly, Minato was holding back. This was a Ninja Academy graduation exam, not the Chunin Ninja Exams.
If Minato truly went all out, Kakashi and Lihuo wouldn't stand a chance.
Even so, Minato was steadily pressing Kakashi back, leaving him no choice but to retreat as he fought.
Lihuo could see Kakashi losing ground, but he stayed where he was, as though preparing something.
Gradually, Lihuo's harassment slowed as well, adding even more pressure to Kakashi.
Just then, Minato seized an opening and struck Kakashi with a palm, sending him flying. No one noticed the fine line of writing stamped on Kakashi's chest.
A closer look would have revealed four words:
"Sword of Ninja Love!"
It was Minato's Flying Thunder God Formula!
The instant Minato sent Kakashi flying, Lihuo sprang into action!
"Even though he's Young Minato and not using Rasengan, you can still catch him in the recovery window."
The muscles in Lihuo's legs tensed. He stamped hard on the ground, and chakra burst beneath his feet, launching him forward like a cannonball. His target was the bell at Minato's waist!
From beginning to end, their goal hadn't been to defeat Minato. It was to steal the bell!
But how could Minato not see that coming? Even though Lihuo had caught him during his recovery, he didn't panic in the slightest.
Watching Lihuo charge toward him, Minato silently groaned.
"If Kakashi's movements are strange but his strength is lacking, then Lihuo's strength is enough to overcome any technique!"
Minato didn't hesitate. His extensive combat experience told him he had to get away at once.
Faced with Lihuo charging straight at him, Minato calmly shifted to one side, perfectly dodging the hand reaching for the bell!
That flawless escape from danger demonstrated Minato's superb combat instincts.
Just then, something no one expected happened.
The bell suddenly flew away on its own!
Lihuo was the one behind it! He had guessed Minato would dodge his attack, so he had used Simplified Frog Kumite as he struck!
To the untrained eye, it was all spectacle; an expert could see the technique behind it. Unfortunately, everyone present was an expert.
They understood how Lihuo had used the move after barely a glance.
"Heh. That's certainly an ingenious way to use chakra," Orochimaru remarked.
"Indeed. It's a small trick, but it can be quite useful," the Third Hokage said.
Minato noticed that the bell had vanished. He was about to retrieve it, but Kakashi stepped in front of him.
"Sorry, but I can't let you through."
Lihuo, meanwhile, unleashed an astonishing burst of speed and raced to seize the bell!
But Minato wasn't worried at all. He swiftly threw a kunai, pinning it into the ground right beside the bell.
At the sight, Lihuo's pupils contracted as he sprinted forward. He was just about to pull back—
A flash of golden light! Minato Namikaze appeared beside the bell.
"You two are really impressive. It's a bit tough without using the Flying Thunder God."
Lihuo knew Minato was just being modest. As a Jonin, he was strong enough to easily defeat the two of them.
But Minato was deliberately holding back, turning himself into a mechanic-based monster with ordinary stats but an infuriating ability!
Seeing Minato take out more Flying Thunder God Kunai, Lihuo immediately leaped backward, throwing kunai as he retreated to disrupt their formation.
But no matter how hard Kakashi and Lihuo tried, Flying Thunder God Kunai soon covered the ground.
Minato's expression turned stern. "You two are about to lose!"
Lihuo grinned.
"Who says we're losing?"
"Since you've asked so sincerely—"
Minato: (･_･;
"Then I'll magnanimously tell you!"
"Didn't you notice this is a flat, open area? That's right—we deliberately lured you out of the woods."
Minato said, "I really didn't ask. Why are you explaining all this on your own?"
"We knew you'd use the Flying Thunder God. Earlier, we used our kunai to disrupt the paths of your Flying Thunder God Kunai."
"Take a look. Did your Flying Thunder God Kunai land where you expected?"
At that, Minato's expression grew grave. It was true: he had thrown the kunai far apart to give himself more room to maneuver.
Now, after Lihuo and the others had disrupted them, the kunai were much less spread out.
"Looks like you've figured it out," Lihuo said.
"And did you notice that I haven't used a single ninjutsu this whole time?"
As he spoke, Lihuo swiftly formed Hand Seals, pouring out chakra as if there were no end to it!
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Before you continue